Hazmat Crews Called to for Hazardous Materials Exposure

Just before 8:00 p.m., hazmat crews were called to Koch Foods Company, the former ConAgra Plant, at 200 S. Second Street in Lincoln Saturday.

According to Captain Dan Ripley, fire crews were called to the plant for a medical emergency.

After talking to the patient, crews learned there were some sort of equipment operating which would release carbon monoxide and may have effected other construction workers in the area.

Captain Ripley said at that point, they called in several more crews for a possible hazardous materials incident.

Battalion Chief Tim Linke said there were extremely high levels of carbon monoxide that did sicken some construction workers doing excavation work underground, to put in some pipes.

The meat packing plant was not operating at the time, so only nine construction workers were victims of the poisonous gas. The original patient was transported to the hospital and his condition is not considered not life threatening. All others were treated at the scene and released.

Chief Linke said fire crews ventilated the area until the the carbon monoxide in the area was below hazardous levels. The construction area has been closed off until the area can be evaluated later to insure all the fumes are completely gone.

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